Idiots and Denials
by Mishelledor23
Summary: Bakugou hates Kirishima's teeth. He doesn't think they're cute at all. Rated for language and light smut Yaoi. Series of KiriBaku snapshots!
1. Musing

Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia

A/N: I'm seriously obsessed with KiriBaku at the moment, I swear there's more teasing for them than there is for Midoriya and Uraraka. Plus, who doesn't want our best angry boi to find love?

* * *

Bakugou hated a lot of things. For example, fucking Deku. Stupid muttering nerd was annoying as hell. Half-and-half bastard was annoying too, he was still furious about the sports festival results. How dare he hold back in a one-on-one fight! Asshole!

Let's see, what else…flowers, kids, giggling girls, people gathering around his desk, Best Jeanist's hairstyle, that time Best Jeanist styled _his_ hair and it stayed like that for three days, that blonde guy from Class B that kept getting knocked out by the big-hand girl, oh, and Kirishima's teeth.

Just what the hell was up with them anyway? His quirk was hardening his skin, not hunting the ocean for seals like Gang Orca. So why the fuck did he have a mouthful of shark teeth? If that wasn't bad enough, he had to look at them constantly because Shitty Hair never stopped smiling.

Did he have to be so goddamn chipper all the time? What the hell was he so happy about? That shit was contagious. One time, Shitty Hair managed to make him laugh out loud and the whole class went dead silent like a villain was attacking.

But back to the point, Shitty Hair's teeth are stupid and Bakugou hates them.

That was supposed to be the end of that particular musing, but then his mind began to wander. Everything Eraserhead was saying was obviously common sense, so there was no need to take notes like Pikachu and Raccoon Girl. His dark red eyes flicked over to where Shitty Hair was paying close attention, grinding his stupid shark teeth together like he was stressed.

Such a moron. In their tutoring sessions, Bakugou had been surprised to learn that Shitty Hair's problem wasn't intelligence, it was confidence. He did just fine until he started second guessing himself and getting confused.

He couldn't see it from this angle, but there was a scar above Shitty Hair's right eye. He'd asked about it on their way home from the library once. Turns out that he discovered his quirk by rubbing his eye when he was a little kid. Moron was lucky he didn't put his damn eye out. The thought of that made his stomach flutter with concern. Well whatever, some people, not him, would say that it was cute.

I also hate his hero costume, Bakugou decided. His costume was cool, nothing was more badass than grenade gauntlets. Shitty Hair paraded around with his whole chest exposed like he was trying to win a beauty pageant. And that half-skirt thing? Give me a fucking break. He'd mentioned that too actually, and you know what his excuse was?

"But Bakugou, my skin gets jagged when it hardens. My costume would rip, and I'd have to keep repairing it."

Bull fucking shit. Costumes got destroyed all the time. He just needed to admit that he liked being ogled. And fair enough, he supposed, Shitty Hair was in really good shape. It was strange though, he never mentioned interest in girls at all.

Shitty Hair's tongue darted out and he chewed his bottom lip nervously.

Weren't his teeth sharp? How the fuck was he doing that without breaking skin? Maybe it was a good thing he wasn't dating anyone; any girl would freak out if he were to kiss too hard or bite. He snorted. Girls could be so fragile, he wouldn't be hurt by something as ridiculous as a kiss or a bite. At that thought, his brain supplied him with a disturbingly vivid image of Shitty Hair clamping his teeth around his throat as he…

Shitty Hair looked at him, seeming confused.

"Bakugou?"

"Bakugou!" Mr. Aizawa barked, snapping him out of his reverie. His face burned, and he emitted several involuntary pops from his palms.

 _Fuck fuck fuck fuck, tell me I wasn't…_

"Quit staring at Kirishima and read the next passage from the textbook." Mr. Aizawa ordered.

He stood, making a silent note of who was laughing. Everyone? Too bad, looks like everyone in Class A has to die.

Except Shitty Hair. He stumbled over the sentence he was reading. Shitty Hair wasn't laughing. He looked thoughtful.

Bakugou kept his eyes glued firmly to his desk for the rest of the day. Finally, the bell rang, and he was free to flee, until Shitty Hair swooped into his path with that big stupid shark-teeth grin on his face.

"Let's walk home together!" He said brightly, taking Bakugou's wrist and dragging him away from the prying eyes of their classmates.

It didn't occur to him to wrench his hand free until they were outside.

"Let go, fucker!" He snapped, "I can walk on my own!"

Shitty Hair stopped and beamed at him.

"Why were you staring at me?"

The image instantly returned, of Kirishima looming over him, with his teeth bared in a sexy smile. What the actual fuck was wrong with him today?!

Had he been thinking more clearly, he might have been able to brush it off as not staring at him, but rather staring off into space. Instead, he blushed and grumbled out a small portion of the truth.

"I was trying to figure out why you have stupid teeth."

Shitty Hair's smile faded and to Bakugou's surprise, he turned faintly pink.

"I don't like them either." He admitted. "When I was a kid, people thought I was scary looking. You know my hair is naturally black?"

 _That's hot. God DAMN it!_

"I didn't know that." Bakugou ground out. They walked in silence for a block or two.

"I dyed my hair red partly because of Crimson Riot and partly because I thought I might look a bit less scary." Kirishima admitted out of nowhere. He shot Bakugou a sideways glance.

"So that's all? You were staring at me because you hate my teeth?"

"Yeah." Bakugou insisted. "Why?"

Kirishima's blush returned and he rubbed the back of his neck as though he was suddenly feeling shy.

"You uh, made a noise."

The responding explosion made Kirishima very thankful for his particular quirk.

But for all the literal huffing and puffing and threats, Kirishima noticed something interesting.

Bakugou wasn't trying to deny it.

He seized Bakugou by the shoulders and turned on his best puppy eyes.

"You can tell me anything you know," He said, his tone full of meaning. He smiled encouragingly and Bakugou's gaze instantly dropped to his goddamn shark-teeth.

His stupid, fucking, adorable-

Kirishima let out a muffled sound of surprise when he felt Bakugou's mouth collide with his.

It was a short, clumsy kiss but to him, it was perfect. When he felt the blonde starting to pull away, he wrapped his arms tightly around him and activated his quirk.

Lord Explosion Murder wasn't going anywhere.

Kirishima had questions, and he wasn't leaving until they were answered.

Bakugou growled something at him, blushing furiously.

Kirishima grinned.

Bakugou groaned.

* * *

A/N: This may become a series of KiriBaku one-shots, we'll see :D Don't forget to review!


	2. Show Me Your Teeth

Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia

A/N: Things are about to get steamy!

* * *

Kirishima had never been happier in his life. He was pursuing his dream of becoming a pro hero and living up to the legacy of his idol, Crimson Riot. He loved his classmates (most of them anyway), his classes and their new dorms. But the best part was the one he wasn't allowed to discuss with anyone; the fact that scary, angry Sir Blasty was in love with him and they were secretly dating.

Bakugou had, to put it lightly, insisted that they keep this on the down low for a while. But Kirishima didn't think it was out of shame. Sure, there were still people out there that would hate their relationship purely because they were both males, but Kirishima didn't think anyone in their class would object.

No, Kirishima was certain that Bakugou would be like this no matter who he was dating. His beloved angry boy could handle anything you threw at him…except feelings. But that was ok, he was in no hurry. Slow and steady.

* * *

Bakugou was an emotional wreck. He'd never had romantic feelings for anyone before, and he'd declared that he likely never would again. It was Kirishima or nothing and that was absolutely terrifying to him. Despite being a complete novice to romance, and relationships in general, even he knew you don't tell your first boyfriend that he's the one after dating for less than a week.

He was still performing well enough in class, but acting natural was getting harder, pun intended. So far, all he'd allowed was holding hands in the privacy of their dorm rooms and some chaste kissing. And Kirishima accepted it without question, beaming at him in a way that never failed to make his stomach flip. Kirishima wasn't the problem.

After the fifth night of waking to the sound of popping, Bakugou wanted to scream. He was sweaty, he was hard, and he was embarrassed. Sixteen years old and only just getting bitch-slapped by his hormones now. How pent up had he been all this time?

With a fist in his mouth to stifle his groans, Bakugou finished what was turning into a nightly routine, imagining his innocently sleeping boyfriend next door.

* * *

Kirishima wasn't sure how much longer he could play dumb. Bakugou didn't seem to understand just how thin the walls were. Every night, _every night,_ he would hear Bakugou moan his name, accompanied by a series of mini-explosions. The thought of his poor boyfriend, suffering his sexual frustration in silence was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

By now, this had been going on for two weeks and it was turning into a routine for him as well. Go to sleep, wake up at approximately one in the morning, listen to Bakugou's sex noises, tend to his own needs, go back to sleep. Repeat the next night.

 _Come on,_ urged the devil on his shoulder. _Go knock on his door. He wants you! You are his boyfriend after all!_

Kirishima rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

 _No, no, no!_ the angel on his other shoulder piped up. _Just because he wants it doesn't mean he's ready. To ambush him when he's vulnerable like this just isn't manly!_

Kirishima groaned and buried his face in his pillow. Of course, the right thing to do would be to let Bakugou come to him, but that might not be for a very, very long time. Perhaps what he needed was some…encouragement! Yes! Gentle coaxing. That was ok, right?

* * *

Kirishima made his move on Saturday. The two had been hanging out in Bakugou's room and reading comic books, as always, they had gravitated towards each other and eventually the books lay forgotten on the floor.

"Oi, Shitty Hair," Bakugou growled. They were horizontal, Bakugou lying on his back and enjoying the lavish attention Kirishima was paying to his neck.

"Yes?" He asked innocently, lifting one of Bakugou's hands and placing it against his scalp. The blonde-haired boy muttered something unintelligible, distracted by running his fingers through the red strands. It was enough to make Kirishima want to purr. His hand delved under Bakugou's tank top, kneading the hard muscles. Bakugou's back arched and a hiss escaped his lips.

"Shitty Hair!" he growled again. Normally, he would have taken that as the signal to back off for now, but his tone didn't contain the usual bite. Kirishima had to fight to keep from grinning. That gave him an idea!

Sighing dramatically, he dropped his head to Bakugou's shoulder.

"How long are you going to keep calling me that?" He murmured next to Bakugou's ear. He leaned closer, so his lips brushed against the other boy's earlobe.

"Wouldn't you rather use my name? Ei-ji-rou."

Bakugou shivered. His lips were pressed tightly together, and he had Kirishima's shirt in a death grip.

"I can use your name, right? Katsuki." He nibbled Bakugou's ear. A loud moan escaped Bakugou's lips and he clapped his hands over his mouth in horror, blushing furiously. It was hands-down the most adorable thing he'd ever seen. Kirishima swept his hand over Bakugou's solid abs and up to brush one of his nipples. It immediately hardened under his touch.

"Do you still hate my teeth, Katsuki?" He pushed aside Bakugou's hands and captured his lips in a searing kiss, catching his bottom lip and gently tugging on it.

Both of Bakugou's calloused, sweaty hands found their way to Kirishima's head and gripped him tightly. His red eyes were half open, but they burned with intense want. His cheeks were flushed a deep red and his breathing had turned ragged. An arousing sight anyway, but the fact that it was _Bakugou_ panting and writhing beneath him…well, can you blame him for feeling proud?

"Bite me, you bastard." Bakugou ground out. Kirishima decided to go ahead and take that literally, clamping down on the junction of Bakugou's neck and shoulder. Encouraged by his barely-concealed groans and the fists in his hair, Kirishima took him literally again and again.

* * *

"You're fucked up, you know that?" Bakugou grumbled, examining himself in the mirror. They were both bruised and flushed, but the blonde looked like he'd been attacked by a horde of cookie-cutter sharks. Kirishima grinned and shrugged, too tired and distracted by the sight of Bakugou in his underwear to care.

Not that he was going to complain anyway, but Sir Blasty had given as good as he'd received. His scalp was tingling, and his body was dotted with scratches and minor burns. He opened his arms as a silent invitation.

With his features scrunched up in a petulant expression, Bakugou climbed into bed and snuggled against Kirishima's side.

"Tell anyone and I'll kill you."

Tell them what? That Bakugou had a kink for being bitten? That he was a cuddler? That his nipples were sensitive? He had no intention of sharing anything.

Kirishima decided he could live with this. Bakugou could keep his pride, and have the class think he didn't have a soft side. In return, he would get to see the sides of Bakugou that no one else was permitted to. The cuddles, the vulnerability, the hurt little sounds he made when he felt good; those were all for him.

He was tired, so he expressed his agreement by kissing Bakugou's temple before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was inspired by this excellent fan art by AderiAsha: www. deviantart aderiasha/art/KiriBaku-Kissess-and-Bites- 732610014 (take out the spaces). Enjoy!


	3. Turn Up The Heat

The important thing to remember is that Kirishima had fully intended to keep it a secret. Getting caught was another matter. Plus, it was really Bakugou's fault.

Wearing their school uniforms was just fine and dandy, it was their hero costumes that caused the first complication.

"What the hell happened to you?" Kaminari asked in astonishment when he saw the state of Kirishima's chest.

He'd thought this might happen, after all, they were still nosy teenagers. So, he'd put together a cover story.

"I got attacked by a stray cat!" He announced.

Bakugou smacked his forehead.

"Uh. Ok." Kaminari said slowly, "that explains the scratches, but what about the bruises? How big was this freaking cat? Wait, are those burns?"

Thankfully, he was spared from answering by Iida's call for them to assemble. While they were listening to All Might explain the rules for today's training, Kirishima thanked his lucky stars that they'd dodged a bullet. Perhaps he ought to consider a less revealing outfit?

Standing a few rows over, Kirishima had caught the attention of the ever observant Izuku Midoriya. He'd seen burns like that before, having been on the receiving end multiple times over the years. His green eyes focused on the "cat scratches". They looked an awful lot like fingernail marks to him.

Bakugou made his signature "Tch" sound, declaring today's training to be child's play and tossing his head arrogantly. When he did, something previously hidden by the straps of his tunic came briefly into view. On the junction of his neck and shoulder was a bite mark.

Midoriya's eyes flicked to Kirishima's broad grin and back to the teeth marks on Bakugou's neck. He gasped and clapped his hands over his mouth, turning bright red. The class stared.

"Is something the matter, Young Midoriya?" All Might asked hesitantly.

"Everything's fine!" He squeaked, "Sorry for interrupting!" He stared straight ahead and tried to ignore the feeling of red eyes burning into the back of his head.

* * *

"Hey Deku." Bakugou growled, catching the other boy before he could escape into his room.

"Y-yes, Kacchan?" Midoriya asked, cursing his flushing cheeks.

"What the hell was that earlier?"

Bakugou had changed out of his hero costume and into a plain black shirt, the bite mark hidden once again. But Midoriya knew it was there and the idea of Bakugou being in that position with anyone was mind-boggling. He couldn't (and didn't particularly want to) imagine it.

"Nothing!" He squeaked, "Like I said, everything's fine. I just ah, thought I saw something."

Bakugou's eyes narrowed dangerously and his hand sparked.

"But I didn't!" He clarified frantically. "It was a mistake, I didn't see anything!"

Bakugou probably only waited for a few seconds, but to Midoriya, it felt so much longer than that.

"Fine." Bakugou growled. He stalked off.

Once he was gone, Midoriya pressed a hand over his wildly beating heart. He'd known Kacchan long enough to know that he hadn't been fooled. He knew that he knew, and that had been his way of asking him to not to tell. And he wouldn't. Despite everything that had happened between them, he still considered Kacchan a friend and he'd keep his secret for him.

"Kirishima is officially the bravest guy I've ever known." He muttered to himself, stepping into his room and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Three weeks later, their cover got blown sky high.

"Katsuki, _Katsuki,"_ Kirishima moaned, burying his face in Bakugou's neck and inhaling deeply. God, he loved Bakugou's scent. It was no secret that the blonde sweated a lot, but this scent was different from training. It was a strong, musky aroma, infused with something primal. It drove him crazy in the _best_ way.

No matter how many times they did this, Kirishima knew he would never, ever tire of the way Bakugou clung to him, with watery eyes and flushed cheeks, crying out his appreciation.

"Eiji, I'm-!"

A loud knock at the door startled them so much that Bakugou cursed and let off a string of small explosions.

"Bakugou, it's Iida! You've had a noise complaint!"

"Fuck, what do we do?" Kirishima hissed.

"Shut up and hide under the covers!" Bakugou snarled back, jumping out of bed with a wince and snatching up his clothing from the floor.

Iida knocked again, louder this time.

"As the Class Rep I insist that you open this door immediately!"

Bakugou opened the door just enough to give the spectacled boy his most baleful glare.

"What?" He snarled, making no attempts to stop his palms from sparking.

Iida swallowed nervously but he refused to back down.

"As I've said, there's been a noise complaint. I'm not going to mention names, but out of respect for your classmates, you need to keep the volume down when you engage in such activities. Invest in a pair of headphones if you have to, but you can't keep causing a disturbance!"

It took Bakugou a moment to make sense of that.

"You think I'm watching porn?" he growled.

Under the blankets, Kirishima had his hands clamped firmly over his mouth, trying his absolute best not to move or laugh. He could picture Iida's mortified face, waving his hands in a chopping motion as he told Bakugou off for playing his "porn" too loudly.

I suppose I should have urged him to be quiet, Kirishima admitted, wasn't I complaining about the thin walls just a few weeks ago? A tickle began to form in his nose.

Oh no. Please no. He'll kill me. He tried holding his breath, but that just made it worse. He couldn't stop it!

Kirishima sneezed.

The silence that followed was painful.

"Bakugou! Do you have an unsanctioned guest?! At this hour! That is utterly unacceptable! The paperwork for guests clearly states that curfew is ten pm!"

Bakugou argued, but it was becoming increasingly clear that Iida wasn't going to leave until the "guest" did.

He could hear the mutters of their curious classmates that had began to gather around their door. He liked Iida just fine, but did he really have to make this much of a scene?

Oh well, it couldn't be helped. Putting on his brightest grin, Kirishima popped his head out from under the covers.

"Hello!" He said cheerfully.

It took everything he had not to burst out laughing at the look on Iida's face. His jaw was almost on the floor! From where he was, he could see Midoriya, Kaminari and Ashido gaping in at them. But he was sure the rest of the class was there, and even if they weren't, they'd know before daybreak.

Bakugou sputtered a hysterical sounding laugh and leaned against the door frame for support.

Iida tried to stammer something else about proper decorum, but Bakugou had passed his limit, holding his ribs and wheezing with mirth.

"Fuck off, all of you." He shut the door in everyone's face.

Once they were alone again, a delayed sense of embarrassment began to creep up Kirishima's spine. Oh my god. Now everyone knew, not just that they were dating, but also…he clapped his hands to his burning cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Bakugou!" He cried, "I know that's not how you wanted people to find out, but he wasn't going to leave and I'm sure nobody has a problem with it, are you mad, please don't be mad!" He was babbling, and only stopped when Bakugou's fist contacted his skull. Not a punch, more like an affectionate love tap.

"I'll be mad if you don't finish what you started." He growled, straddling him. His grin was wide, and mischief sparkled in his red eyes.

"Huh?" Kirishima exclaimed.

Bakugou kissed him roughly, digging his fingertips into Kirishima's sides. When he pulled back, his voice was ragged, full of adrenaline and lust.

"They want to make noise complaints, I'll give them something to complain about!"

* * *

Strangely enough, no one complained about the noise the next day when they were in class. Or made eye contact.

Very strange indeed.


	4. Late Night Talk

A/N: I think this story is going to be a series of snapshots that tie together rather than a whole story, you know? Little moments that I wish would be in the show, that sort of thing! That said, time for angst!

* * *

"Come on, it's bedtime for you." Kirishima said affectionately, hoisting Bakugou's arm over his shoulder and ignoring the good-natured cat calls from Kaminari and Sero. It was better than he had hoped for, apart from Mineta, the class was not only ok with their relationship, but supportive of it. Mineta was just having a hard time wrapping his head around why two guys would want to be together when there were so many pretty girls around. Kaminari had convinced him that this worked in their favour; two fewer good-looking guys competing for the girls. Tsuyu had smacked them both around with her tongue, not bothering to look up from her book.

It was Friday night, and Mina had gotten the bright idea to have a common room party, complete with spiked punch. No one expected Bakugou to be such a lightweight. After one cup, he went quiet, cheeks dusted red. After two, he became louder and more boisterous than usual, but not aggressively. In fact, he was the life of the party! Kirishima had never seen everyone After three, Kirishima knew that look in his eyes and decided they'd better take their exit. Their classmates had suffered enough.

"'M bedtime." Bakugou slurred, attempting a flirty smile.

"Good night!" Kirishima announced, waving to the remaining party goers.

"We'll be sure to turn up the music." Todoroki deadpanned, earning a round of shocked laughter.

True to his word, Kirishima, half carried, half dragged Bakugou to his room, with the full intention of leaving him there to sleep it off. No matter how adorable he looked right now, with his half-open eyes and sleepy smile, he was drunk and Kirishima was a gentleman dammit!

Bakugou tripped over his own feet and landed facedown on the bed. He should have left it at that, but that angle couldn't be good for his back, and everyone knew that jeans weren't comfortable to sleep in. Swallowing audibly, Kirishima flipped Bakugou onto his back and went to undo his pants.

"Yeah, baby!" Bakugou mumbled. He stretched his arms languidly over his head, exposing his chiseled abs.

"We're not doing that tonight Katsuki," Kirishima insisted, cursing his burning cheeks. He really needed to get out of here, but a good night kiss on the forehead wouldn't hurt anything right?

Wrong.

The kiss on the forehead turned into a kiss on the lips, which turned into kisses on every inch of exposed skin he could find. Normally, there was some push and pull, a good-natured struggle for dominance that Kirishima always ended up winning. Bakugou's little whimpers and moans were even more lewd than usual, and he seemed content to lie there and let Kirishima have his way. So, so tempting…

Panting, he pulled back.

"Come on 'Suki. I'm trying to do the right thing here." He groaned. "You need to go to sleep."

Bakugou pouted and uttered one word, completely undoing Kirishima's resolve.

"Stay?"

How could anyone resist that face? It just wasn't fair. He gently but firmly pried Bakugou's hands from his arms, got up and turned the light off. When he came back, Bakugou had obediently shifted over to make room for him, in the tiny single bed.

He knew he was likely tempting fate at this point, but jeans really were uncomfortable to sleep in, so he took them off and climbed into bed. Immediately, Bakugou's arms encircled him, resting his head on Kirishima's chest and sighing happily at the steady sound of his heart.

Kirishima didn't think it was possible to love him any more than he already did. In a few short weeks, he'd seen several different sides to Sir Blasty, and he adored every single one of them. But if he had to choose a favourite, sleepy cuddly Katsuki was a contender. Smiling, he ran his fingers through Bakugou's hair in a soothing petting motion. He could get used to this.

"Love you…'Suki…" He murmured. He'd never said it out loud before. He hadn't expected Bakugou to stiffen and pull away from him. Propped up on an elbow, the moonlight lit up half his face, revealing a pained expression.

"Why?" He asked hoarsely.

He must have heard wrong. He'd figured out long ago that Bakugou suffered from an inferiority complex that he hid beneath arrogance and anger. But the arrogance wasn't entirely unjustified, Bakugou _was_ talented, he _was_ smart and Kirishima had no doubt that he'd go on to become one of the greatest heroes of all time.

So why the _hell_ was there so much self-loathing in his voice?

"Why shouldn't I?" He responded. "You're amazing."

"Amazing." Bakugou laughed bitterly. "At what? I'm third in our class, I only won the sports festival because Icy-hot gave up. The league of villains saw me as someone they could sway." His voice wavered, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"I'm nothing but a burden! All Might had to retire because I was careless and weak! And you,"

It was like a damn had burst. Was the alcohol really to blame for this? Or just the final push to let out what he'd been keeping inside? He sat up, meeting Bakugou's gaze.

"You nearly got expelled. Your dream would have been ruined because of me."

"But I didn't," Kirishima soothed, cupping Bakugou's cheek and wiping away a tear with his thumb. "And if I had to do it over, even if I knew for sure that I'd be kicked out of UA, I'd still have gone. Your life means more to me than my career."

He cradled Bakugou's head and kissed him tenderly.

"I love you Katsuki, I really do. You might as well get used to it."

Bakugou's head dropped to Kirishima's shoulder, sinking into the redhead's tight embrace.

He barely made a sound, but there was no mistaking his quivering shoulders or the steadily growing wet spot on Kirishima's shirt.

Kirishima wasn't sure what the right thing to do was, but this he could do. Maybe in time, Bakugou would see himself the way Kirishima did? Fiery, passionate, determined, loyal, inspiring, the list was endless.

Weak. There was nothing weak about admitting your flaws or feeling the pain of failing others. Could a person be a true hero if they didn't feel that pain? That squeezing in your chest and the twisting in your stomach. He'd never forget the feeling of impotency and shame for hiding in safety while Bakugou got captured.

Bakugou's breathing had slowed, it seemed he'd finally tired himself out and was falling asleep. Careful not to disturb him any more than necessary, Kirishima lay them both down.

He couldn't see Bakugou's face at this angle, but he had it ingrained in his memory. In sleep, Bakugou's face was peaceful, perfectly at ease in Kirishima's arms.

As sleep began to overtake him, Kirishima dimly remembered that Bakugou hadn't said he loved him back.

"It's ok," He whispered, "I know."


	5. Affection

A/N: This is a short one, but it was so cute I had to do it.

* * *

"No, no, NO! Are you even trying?! Read the damn textbook for fucks sake!"

Midoriya held in a chuckle, watching Bakugou tutoring Kirishima. Kacchan was practically spitting with rage while rapping Kirishima over the head with a rolled-up notebook. He'd never say so, but it was heart-warming to see him putting in the effort to help somebody, even if it involved cursing and violence.

He quickly returned his gaze to his textbook, so he wouldn't laugh when the librarian showed up to scold them for being too loud. He wasn't the only one at the table interested in the scene.

"Are all their study sessions like that?" Yaoyorozu wondered. Kaminari shuddered,

"Honestly I don't know how Kirishima puts up with him sometimes; Bakugou's a scary guy!"

Asui touched her chin thoughtfully.

"We may think so, but Kirishima clearly knows him better than we do. He must be ok with the way Bakugou treats him; I think he'd leave if he wasn't."

"I dunno Tsu," Kaminari said uncomfortably, "Kiri's such a nice guy that people tend to take advantage of him." Yaoyorozu nodded thoughtfully while Asui and Midoriya exchanged a glance. The class was so involved in their discussion that they forgot something very important; Bakugou had excellent hearing.

* * *

The next day, Kirishima found a small bouquet of red gerbera daisies at his desk. The class seemed to think they were a bomb about to explode.

"Oh my GOD you have a secret admirer!" Ashido cried excitedly. "Bakugou is going to get jealous!"

"Who do you think it is?" Kaminari asked, inspecting the bouquet for a card. "Got any ideas bro?"

"Whoever it is either doesn't know about Bakugou or they're suicidal!" Mineta declared, "No offense."

Kirishima blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't sure what to say to all this.

The door opened and Bakugou walked in, unfazed by the sudden silence and bated breath of his classmates. His gaze moved from the assembled crowd to the flowers in Kirishima's hand.

"Tch." He said, sitting down with a thump.

He didn't say a word about the flowers, but there was no way anyone was going to crowd around his desk.

When the bell rang, he got up and headed to the dorms without waiting for Kirishima.

"Oooooooooooh," Ashido, Kaminari and Mineta chorused.

"Dude, he is _pissed."_ Sero remarked, "You better go make up with him before he sets something on fire."

"And give us the details later!" Ashido cried excitedly.

* * *

Kirishima found him in the courtyard an hour later, sitting on a bench and listening to music with his hands stuck sullenly in his pockets.

"Hey 'Suki," He said softly, sitting beside him. "Wanna come shopping with me? I need to get a vase."

Bakugou grunted. Kirishima tilted his head to the side and let a small smile touch his lips.

"How did you know I like gerbera daisies?"

Bakugou's face turned beet red and he scowled, looking anywhere but at Kirishima.

"I didn't. They were red, that's all."

To be fair, that was a pretty valid point. But he had to ask.

"Is this about what the class said yesterday?" Kirishima asked. "About how you treat me?"

Bakugou's startled gasp was all the confirmation he needed. Kirishima laughed.

"I have good hearing too, dude. I can't believe that bothered you so much that you got me flowers!"

Bakugou flinched and Kirishima winced. Tact wasn't always his strong suit unfortunately. He'd meant to imply that the idea of Bakugou abusing him was laughable.

"That didn't come out right." He quickly amended. "I mean Tsu had it right. You're just being you and I love it! No one else has to understand."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the sky shift into deep shades of orange.

"I want to be good to you." Bakugou mumbled suddenly. "I'm trying anyway."

Kirishima's heart swelled to the point where he thought it might burst. He gently tugged Bakugou's hand out of his pocket so he could entwine their fingers.

"You're doing great," He assured him, smiling brightly, "And I loved the flowers."

"Idiot." Bakugou muttered, giving Kirishima's hand a squeeze.


	6. My Hero

Their time at UA was drawing to a close and their final graduation was looming over their heads. It was then that Mr. Aizawa decided to drop some life advice.

"This isn't related to your grades, but it still needs to be said." He drawled, looking as bored and dry-eyed as ever. The class shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Mr. Aizawa hadn't become any easier to read in three years.

"As you know, the top heroes are treated like celebrities. Some take advantage of this, with merchandise, media appearances, promotions, that sort of thing in order to supplement their income when hero work is low. However, this means that your private life is no longer private. Things like your interests and relationships become public knowledge, which unfortunately includes villains."

He scanned the room. The class was listening intently, seeming uneasy.

"For this reason, many heroes choose to remain single. There's no rule saying that heroes can't marry or take lovers," Mineta made a strangled sound. "but it's an unfortunate truth that villains will exploit every weakness they can find in a hero, which can make the people dear to you become targets. Just something to be aware of if you weren't already."

With that, he returned to teaching math. Kirishima didn't hear a single word he said.

At lunch, Mina slid into the seat beside him and gave him a concerned look.

"You ok Kiri?" She asked, "You seem down."

Kirishima's face broke reflexively into a big smile.

"I'm fine," he assured her, "Just been pulling a lot of all-nighters, you know?" She nodded knowingly and patted his arm.

"Don't overdo it ok? You'll end up getting burnt out and that's no good."

 _Liar, liar, liar_ his conscience murmured to him.

He wasn't getting enough sleep, but schoolwork was only part of the problem. It was the end of an era. He'd do his best to keep in close contact with his friends of course, but it wouldn't be the same. It couldn't be; they'd be competitors, fighting for placements with the best agencies, moving to wherever the jobs were. As for who would take the spot of number one hero, it seemed like a four-way tossup between Midoriya, Bakugou and Todoroki.

Not him. Despite the hours of extra training, the long nights poring over books, the days of pushing himself to such exhaustion he could barely move he just wasn't able to surpass this year's Big Three.

He was happy for them, he really, truly was. All three of them deserved every bit of acclaim they received, it was just…frustrating sometimes. Bakugou would keep rising higher and Kirishima was worrying that he'd already peaked. What did he still lack after all this time? He was a solid student, but he never managed to excel at anything. Not like Bakugou.

* * *

His heart was racing when he raised a hand to knock on Bakugou's door. He'd spent the last two hours looking in the mirror and practicing what he was going to say. But he knew it didn't really matter; this was going to be horrible no matter what.

Bakugou picked up that something was wrong right away, and he stepped aside without a word.

"Hey 'Suki, can we talk?" Kirishima asked. His eyes were downcast, looking at Bakugou's socked feet rather than his face. Bakugou was wearing the smiley-face socks that he'd bought for him last Christmas as a joke. Kirishima's heart clenched. God, how was he going to get through this? But it was for the best, right?

"What's wrong with you? Sit down."

It took him a moment to steel his nerves again. It had been a mistake to try and do this here; this room had been so bare when they first moved in, and now it was full of memories. A picture from one of their hiking trips smiled at him from the night table.

"I've been thinking. I'm really, really proud of you. We're going to graduate, and you've got the world at your feet. All the best agencies will be after you and I bet you'll be the number one hero in no time." He took a shaky breath,

"You deserve it, and you shouldn't let anything hold you back so, I think we should end this."

He couldn't bear to look Bakugou in the eye, he just needed to say his piece and get the hell out of there.

"I've been trying. I've been trying so damn hard, but I can't keep up with you. And after what Mr. Aizawa said today, I can't stand the idea of being used to shackle you. And-,"

"Shut up." Bakugou snarled, cutting him off. "Shut the fuck up right now Shitty Hair or I swear I'm going to punch you."

"Katsuki, I-,"

"I said shut up! You are such a selfish motherfucker, I can't believe what I'm hearing! Why the hell are you pretending to be a weakling all of a sudden? If villains wanted to use you against me, they'd have to defeat you first. Good fucking luck with that!" His voice kept steadily rising to the point where he was practically shouting. He grabbed Kirishima's shoulders and forced him to face him. His palms sizzled, burning through the fabric of Kirishima's shirt.

"I don't know who the hell told you that you're a deadweight, but I'm going to fucking kill them. Now listen up, 'cause I'm only going to say this once: if being the number one hero means losing you, I don't fucking want it. Got that!?"

Kirishima blinked, unable to hold back the tears sliding silently down his cheeks. Bakugou's face was still screwed up in anger, but there were tears in his eyes too.

Bakugou's head dropped forward and his hands fell away, as though all the anger had drained away from him. In three years, Kirishima had never seen Bakugou look so defeated. His next words came out in a broken whisper that ripped Kirishima's heart right out of his chest.

"Don't leave me...please Eiji."

And just like that, Kirishima's resolve evaporated into thin air. He'd been thinking about this all wrong. Society was so caught up in keeping score, constantly pitting heroes against each other. Saving people and heroic acts were treated like tick marks on a scoreboard. It wasn't enough to just do your best and save as many people as possible, it was about winning and losing. But why?

He pulled Katsuki against him, holding him as tightly as he could with his shaking arms. The other boy melted into his embrace, fitting perfectly.

"Ok," He whispered thickly, kissing Bakugou's hair, "You're stuck with me." Bakugou wordlessly pressed his face into Kirishima's shoulder, squeezing his middle to the point of near suffocation.

So, what if he never made the number one hero spot? So, what if he was written off by society as a mediocre hero and eventually forgotten? Glory, winning, acclaim, none of it mattered to him anymore.

He was Bakugou's hero, and that was more than enough.


	7. Attractiveness

Just an FYI; if you want to read the NSFW material from this story, come find me on Archive of Our Own, my name is Mishelledor23 there too :) Enjoy!

* * *

Eijirou Kirishima was not the number one hero in Musutafu. He was however, the number one in a different category.

"Attractiveness?" He exclaimed, nearly spitting out his coffee.

"Yeah dude!" Denki Kaminari said, thrusting his phone at him with the article displayed.

They'd apparently done two polls; the most attractive female hero of this year was Creati. Kirishima laughed fondly, he'd always think of her as Yao-momo. But he couldn't say he was surprised; he'd long accepted that he was as gay as they come, and even he would say she was a beautiful woman. The runners-up were Mt. Lady and Uravity. Mt. Lady was likely displeased with the results.

As for the winner for the men, Kirishima was astonished to see that he'd beaten out both Bakugou and Todoroki. They'd even included the breakdown of how points were scored and comments for emphasis.

The categories were appearance and personality. He'd scored 4/5 in appearance and 5/5 in personality! Bakugou had scored 4.5/5 in appearance, but a 3/5 for personality, and Todoroki had scored 4/5 for both categories. He blushed, reading the comments out loud.

"Ground Zero is physically gorgeous and the dangerous angry vibe does have its appeal, but Red Riot is so wholesome you can't help but love him. Sheesh. It's a good thing Suki doesn't read the tabloids. Let's see…Endeavour is so stoic; would it kill him to smile once in a while? Red Riot's smile is so dorky but so cute at the same time, I just love it."

He gave Kaminari back his phone, ignoring his protests.

"But you haven't even read the best ones! They like your scar, they like your laugh, they _really_ like your costume-."

"I get it, I get it. How do you find this stuff anyway?"

Kaminari rolled his eyes and sipped his own coffee. It was difficult sometimes, but the pair tried to get together for coffee at least once or twice a month.

"It's not hard to find, you just ignore it on purpose." He replied sullenly. This was true. Two years had passed since the night he tried and failed to break up with Bakugou, the night he realized what being a hero meant to him. Since then, everything had seemed to fall into place.

As for their relationship, they didn't flaunt it, but they didn't actively try to hide it either. And even that had more to do with Bakugou's dislike for public affection than anything else. They were frequently seen together, and he was sure that plenty of people had their suspicions, but he ignored all of that too. Let people think whatever they pleased.

He had to leave shortly after that, having been scheduled for patrol duty with Tetsutetsu for the afternoon. Best Jeanist was one of the few people that knew the full extent of his relationship with Bakugou and generally tried to have them work the same hours but avoided pairing them together for patrols. Something about conflicts of interest and distractions or something. That time they were caught making out in the locker room may have also come up. Whoops.

* * *

Patrol turned out to be more exciting than usual; they'd captured a band of jewelry thieves whose trump card was a guy that could render everyone in the immediate vicinity blind for up to five minutes. They wouldn't mention this in the report, but they'd gotten lucky. While trying to sneak past the heroes and out the door, Kirishima had stuck his foot out on a whim and tripped one of them, breaking the leader's concentration and lifting the quirk.

Tetsutetsu couldn't stop smiling all the way back to head office. Kirishima was feeling pretty good as well; he always got an adrenaline high after an exciting day. Bakugou was the same, which made living together extra convenient. Hint hint. Ok fine, he was horny.

"So how do you feel about being voted the hottest hero of the year?" Tetsutetsu asked teasingly. Kirishima threw back his head and laughed.

"I think everyone in this city is insane! It's kind of embarrassing honestly." Tetsutetsu slung an arm around Kirishima's shoulders as they walked.

"That's why everyone is in love with you, you're so modest!"

"I read some of the comments in the article, it made me want to put on a shirt!" Kirishima joked, oblivious to the way Tetsutetsu's eyes dipped to his chest. His good-natured laughter cut off when he felt a hand take his chin and tilt his face upwards.

It took him a few seconds to comprehend that Tetsutetsu's lips were on his. He pulled back, blinking in surprise.

"Whoah dude, what are you doing?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Tetsutetsu cried, waving his hands frantically. His face was the colour of Kirishima's hair. "I don't know what came over me!"

"You know I'm dating someone right?" He asked, keeping his voice down. He didn't want to cause a scene, but his insides were a jumbled mess. What he wanted to do was run screaming into Bakugou's arms, but that would _definitely_ attract unwanted attention.

"Yeah, I know," Tetsutetsu replied miserably, "I just…after a job and you're so cute and I uh, forgot. It won't happen again, I swear!"

"It's ok man, I get it." Kirishima said, giving his best reassuring smile, "Let's pretend this never happened?"

Tetsutetsu nodded gratefully, and they resumed their walk back to the agency. But this time there was a foot of space between them and an awkward chill in the air.

* * *

"I'm home!" He called, closing the door behind them. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of whatever it was Bakugou had prepared for dinner. Without him, Kirishima the apartment would be a mess and he'd be eating pizza every day. How had he gotten so lucky?

Oh fuck. Did he have to tell Katsuki about the kiss? It was over and done with, Tetsutetsu wasn't the type to push his luck; he'd made a heat of the moment mistake and that's all there was to it. Nah, no need to make Katsuki unnecessarily upset.

Bakugou stepped into view, wearing a pair of grey sweatpants a black T-shirt and looking like perfection. 4.5/5 for appearance? The voters clearly had no idea what they were talking about or he would have scored at least 7/5. Kirishima crossed the short hallway into the kitchen in three long strides and pulled Bakugou in for a loving kiss. Bakugou hummed happily and slipped his tongue into Kirishima's mouth, wrapping his arms around his waist. When they broke apart, he was blushing. Kirishima beamed at him.

"Let go, you clingy bastard," Bakugou grumbled, as if he wasn't the one hanging on, "Dinner is going to burn and you stink. Why didn't you shower at the office?"

Because he'd wanted to file his report and get home as soon as possible, that's why.

"Sorry, I'll go now." He kissed Bakugou again, earning an affectionate thump on the head.

When he emerged, dressed in long pair of shorts and loose-fitting white tank top, he found that Bakugou had already served him a large bowl of spicy curry and was lounging on the couch in front of the TV.

"Hurry up and eat, I can hear your stomach from here." He bounded to the couch and gave Bakugou a peck on the cheek.

They ate in peaceful silence, idly flipping channels until they found something interesting; a full-screenshot of Kirishima's face. Oh god, the gossip channel. The camera pulled back to reveal two excitable women sitting on a couch and discussing that goddamn article.

"Hottest hero of the year…?" Bakugou murmured, setting down the remote.

"Red Riot is the perfect combination of friendly and polite, but also modest and reserved." One woman said.

"Well, reserved in some ways," the other added. The picture above their heads switched to a shot of Kirishima holding a victim from a rescue he'd done a few weeks ago. The girl in his arms looked like she was in heaven, snuggled up against his bare chest.

Kirishima blushed, he hadn't even noticed at the time. He'd been too focused on getting the girl to safety.

"Now, even before the results of the poll, there's been discussion about Red Riot's love life. We all had our theories, let's be honest, but today we finally got the confirmation we were rating for."

That got their attention. Bakugou put his bowl down and turned up the volume. A video began to play; it looked like it had been recorded on someone's phone.

Kirishima's blood turned to ice as he watched himself, parading down the street with Tetsutetsu's arm around him and laughing like he didn't have a care in the world.

 _Oh please no._

The video stopped, freezing on the moment Tetsutetsu had kissed him.

"There you have it! This exchange was caught on tape just a few hours ago, personally I thought there was something going on between Red Riot and Ground Zero, but I have to admit that this pairing does make sense."

"I agree, they're a perfect match in every other way, why not this too?"

"Of course, it raises the question as to whether it's possible for two people to be too similar to work-,"

The TV shut off.

"Eiji…" Bakugou asked in a very scary singsong-like growl, "What. The. Fuck?"

"Ok Suki, just hear me out ok?" Kirishima said, holding up his hands placatingly, "I can explain!"

Judging by the smoke rising from Bakugou's hands, Kirishima estimated that he had exactly one minute to explain, maybe less.

"Tetsutetsu made a mistake! It was just adrenaline, nothing more! The video doesn't show me pulling away and setting him straight, but I did! I thought about telling you, but I didn't want to upset you for no reason."

 _Pop, pop, pop._

Kirishima started to sweat. They'd gotten in trouble for property damage before and their landlady was not the forgiving type. He had ten seconds left.

"He apologized, he'll never do it again! So, it's ok right? I swear we haven't been carrying on behind your back! I'd never cheat on you Katsuki, ever!"

The smoke died down, but Bakugou was still staring him down with those intense red eyes of his. He had this unnerving way of not blinking when he was thinking.

He moved slowly, like you would do if you were trying to avoid spooking an animal.

"Come on Suki, why would I ever be unfaithful to you? You're perfect."

His lips ghosted over the shell of Bakugou's ear; his sure-fire weak spot.

"You're smart, you're talented, you're an amazing cook," He punctuated each reason with a kiss, traveling down Bakugou's neck to his collarbone. "you were voted the best-looking hero, and they don't even know what you look like in bed. They don't know the way you say my name."

Bakugou growled, but his face was tinged red. Kirishima could tell he wasn't angry; he was aroused and pretending he was still mad purely out of spite. So cute!

"Look at you," Kirishima murmured, slipping a hand under Bakugou's shirt. The blonde sighed involuntarily and arched his back. "Why would I ever want someone else? No one even comes close."

His lips found Bakugou's, who welcomed him so readily it was almost instinctual. Bakugou's hands wound into Kirishima's hair and kissed him harder, with a possessive edge.

* * *

The next day, Kirishima noticed that Tetsutetsu was avoiding him…and seemed terrified of Bakugou all of a sudden. But other than that, he seemed unharmed.

"Suki," he asked as they were changing out of their costumes, "Did something happen with you and Tetsutetsu?"

Bakugou shot him an innocent look that didn't fool him for an instant.

"We just had a little chat about what would happen if he hit on you ever again."

Kirishima's jaw dropped.

"You let him off with a warning?!" He exclaimed, "Wow, he's getting off easy."

Bakugou's eyes turned wicked.

"Yes, he is," he agreed, "but you're not."

And that's how they got written up for being uh, inappropriate in the locker room. Again.


	8. Fanboy

Bakugou rolled his eyes. He couldn't tell whether the guy legitimately thought he was being sneaky or not, but he'd be happy to tell them that the answer was 'definitely not'.

He had the oversized dark sweater and big sunglasses down, all he needed was a newspaper and he'd be every stereotypical stalker ever. But he didn't have a newspaper, just his cell phone that he was using to snap pictures of Bakugou working out.

He couldn't blame him, he was damn sexy after all. But that didn't make it any less annoying; was an hour of peace too much to ask?

 _Click, click, click._

Ok, so the phone wasn't really making that noise, but Bakugou swore he could hear it.

With an aggravated sigh, he put on his headphones and flipped the guy the finger.

The fucking fanboy squealed- _squealed_ \- and took another dozen pictures. So clearly that didn't work. Well, there was only one thing left to do; put on a show. Maybe the guy would get a nosebleed and pass out or something.

He sat down at the rowing machine. After ten minutes of that, he used his white tank top to dab at his sweaty forehead; exposing his abs.

 _Click, click, click._

The leg machine came next. You know the one, the one where you aren't supposed to make eye contact with anyone when you use it. He stared the fanboy down for fifteen solid minutes, spreading and closing his legs. He normally would have only done the ten, but fanboy seemed to be getting a little hot and bothered. He smirked. This was getting to be kinda fun.

Squats, crunches, weights, the treadmill; no matter what he did, the fanboy kept following him. He'd long stopped trying to be subtle and was now openly ogling him. So much so, that people were giving them sideways looks like they were debating calling security. Fuck, how much memory did this guy have on his phone?

Time to put an end to this. He was going in the pool. As expected, fanboy followed him into the locker room, but Bakugou put the kibosh on that by changing in one of the stalls. The disappointed mewl brought a smile to Bakugou's face. Fuck yeah, you know you want this!

He strode into the pool room, stretching his arms languidly above his head.

 _Click, click._

He glanced over his shoulder. Fanboy was peering around the edge of the door. What skin Bakugou could see of his face was flushed pink. He dove-flawlessly- into the water and resurfaced, tossing his hair.

"Oi you," He called, pointing, "come here."

The fanboy obeyed, coming right up to the pool edge to meet him. He knelt down, holding his phone loosely by his side. The fool.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked coyly, running his hand seductively down the fanboy's arm.

Then he struck, tossing the phone to safety and pulling the fanboy into the pool.

He shrieked and thrashed, but he was laughing, displaying a full set of pointed teeth. The sunglasses had shifted, revealing a glittering red eye with a small scar above it.

"You're so mean 'Suki!" Kirishima pouted.

"Serves you right," Bakugou replied carelessly, pushing down Kirishima's hood so he could muss up his flattened red hair. "I even saved your phone, you're welcome."

Kirishima grinned sheepishly, red staining his cheeks.

Bakugou could see the lifeguard coming over to yell at them for rough-housing, not to mention Kirishima was in the pool with his clothes on, so he acted quickly. He pulled Kirishima in by the neck of his sweater and whispered in his ear.

"Meet me in the steam room and I'll give you something to stare at."

Kirishima squeaked with delight and scrambled out of the pool, apologizing profusely to the lifeguard.

Bakugou rolled his eyes fondly and flopped back into the water.

Fucking fanboys.

* * *

A/N: If you're interested in the NSFW stuff, look me up on AO3, same fic and same penname ;)


	9. Waiting Pt 1

When Eijirou Kirishima woke up that morning, he expected to spend it lounging around the apartment, having some lazy sex and maybe going out for dinner. He had not expected to receive the worst phone call of his life.

Kirishima yawned widely and stretched, frowning when something didn't feel right. Not only was Bakugou not beside him, the empty space was cold. He looked at the clock; it was early, 6:10 in the morning to be precise. But Bakugou's night patrol was only scheduled until 4:30. Even accounting for paperwork and travel time, he should have been home by now.

He got out of bed and shuffled to the living room. Maybe he'd fallen asleep on the couch? If so, that was unforgivable, Kirishima declared. How dare he try to deny him his morning snuggles?

Sadly, there was no peacefully sleeping spiky-haired blonde to be found on his couch. The apartment was completely silent. He was getting alarmed now. Heading back into the bedroom, he started searching for his phone, cursing his habit of leaving clothes on the floor. He finally found it in his bed under the nest of blankets he'd created. Of course, he'd left it on silent.

His screen was flooded with notifications. The most recent one was a text message from Midoriya.

 _Kirishima, call me as soon as you get this. It's about Kacchan._

* * *

He made it to the hospital in record time. His curly-haired friend was waiting outside, still dressed in his hero costume and sipping a coffee. The tightness around his eyes indicated a lack of sleep.

"Follow me, I'll explain on the way," he said, wasting no time on pleasantries. He spoke in a constant stream of words, leaving no opportunity to ask questions.

"The League of Villains struck last night, just to show off their new recruit and rile people up. But this new guy, we have no idea what his quirk is. Kacchan went in to attack and then he just collapsed. I went after him, but that warp gate guy evacuated them before I could. Ok, this is his room. This might come as a shock."

Shock didn't even begin to cover it. Apart from some minor scrapes on his arm and forehead, he looked perfectly fine. He'd been changed into a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor. His eyes were closed, and his expression was peaceful. You'd think he was sleeping, until you noticed that the heart monitor was silent.

The room was spinning. Kirishima vaguely felt Midoriya's arm encircle his waist. He couldn't form a coherent thought; his brain was screaming a constant wordless denial, refusing to accept what that yawning silence meant.

His chest hurt. His knees hit the cold tile floor. Midoriya was talking to him, but his voice was distorted like they were underwater. He couldn't breathe. Darkness was bleeding into his vision.

"Katsuki…Katsuki…"

He awoke on the floor, sitting upright against the wall. Midoriya was kneeling in front of him, speaking in a soothing voice.

"I'm really sorry Kirishima, I should have given you more warning. The doctor is here now, he can explain more if you're feeling up to it."

A cup of water was pressed into his shaking hands and gently guided to his lips. The doctor was a short man with a heavily lined face.

"We are perplexed by Mr. Bakugou's case. We have run every test we can think of. Mr. Bakugou has no broken bones, no signs of trauma, no traces of lethal substances in his blood, no blocked airways. From a medical standpoint, it appears that he literally dropped dead."

Kirishima flinched, dropping the cup. Midoriya shot the doctor a dirty look but didn't interrupt him.

"The reason we still have him on the IV and heart monitor is that he may still be alive. For example, his skin is colder than that of a living person, but considering the time that's passed since the incident, it isn't as cold as it should be. And his colouring is still healthy, a corpse would have taken a blueish tint by now.

"We're wondering if this is the effect of somebody's quirk." Midoriya said quietly, "I'll be joining the search soon, but I figured you'd want to be here with him just in case."

Kirishima tried to smile. He thought it might crack his face.

"Thanks."

* * *

The hours crawled by agonizingly slow. He sat, he stood, he paced, he thumped his head lightly against the wall and still Katsuki never as much as twitched. Best Jeanist called sometime in the late afternoon to offer his sympathy and to say they were closing in on the League.

"I'm sure you weren't going to come in anyway, but don't worry about work for now. Focus on him and don't forget to eat something." There was a long pause while Kirishima pondered what those words meant. He was officially on grief-leave. His voice cracked when he spoke.

"Thanks."

As the news spread throughout the hero community, he received more and more phone calls from friends, asking how he was doing, if there was anything they could do to help.

He gently refused all offers of help, relating what little he knew so many times that he sounded like an answering machine. He stood by the window, staring outside without really seeing anything.

A tentative knock at the door startled him back to reality. At some point, the sky outside had gone dark.

It was Mina Ashido, holding a bento box. Oh yeah, she'd been one of the callers.

"No change?" She asked. Kirishima shook his head. "I know you said you don't need anything, but I also know that's a lie, so I brought you some dinner."

At the mention of dinner, his stomach growled loudly, accompanied by a series of sharp hunger pains. So, he let Mina usher him into a chair and hand him the box before pulling up a chair beside him.

"Thanks."

He was sure the food would have normally been delicious, but he barely tasted it, lethargically going through the process of chewing and swallowing. Mina's black and amber eyes watched him the whole time, making sure he ate every bite.

"I owe you an apology," Mina said when he was finished, gently taking the box back.

"Why?" Kirishima asked hoarsely, confused.

"In high school, the class talked about your relationship a lot." Mina admitted, "We all agreed that Bakugou needed someone like you. You were always so cheerful, but I should have known that didn't necessarily mean you were ok. We never considered how much you might need him." She reached up, lightly brushing her fingers over the tightness around his eyes. "I'm so sorry Kiri. I want you to know that I'm here for you, for anything at all."

He let her wind her arms around him, resting his head on her shoulder. Her embrace felt nice; warm and soft, but he couldn't look away from Bakugou's motionless body. His eyes stayed stubbornly dry.

Around 11:00, fatigue began to set in. His stomach was growling at him as if to say, "that's it?". The hospital was so quiet that he could hear the clock ticking. And still, _still_ the heart monitor remained silent.

This was probably discouraged, but Kirishima couldn't bring himself to care. Taking care not to dislodge any of the tubes, he climbed into bed, snuggling up against Bakugou's side.

"I hate this." He whispered, "I need you to wake up and yell at me for something. You have to be alive, you just have to be."

No response.

"Come on Suki, this can't be the way you go. All you have to do is open your eyes. You can do that, can't you?"

No response.

His eyes stung, but still no tears fell.

"If you wake up, I swear I'll do whatever you want for a whole month. I'll cook dinner, clean the apartment, be your slave, just name it. I'd do anything to hear your voice again…Katsuki. My Katsuki…"

No response.

* * *

Kirishima jolted awake when he felt a hand brush his arm.

"Ei…ji…where 'm I?"

He sat upright, not daring to believe his ears. The heart monitor was beeping, steadily getting stronger. He turned on the bedside lamp and was greeted by two bleary red eyes.

Within the hour, the doctor arrived to examine Bakugou's vitals and to explain. While he'd been asleep, Midoriya's team had managed to capture the recruit and convince him to talk, in exchange for a lighter sentence.

"His quirk is called 'possum.' He can put his body into a deathlike state for up to forty-eight hours or plunge someone into the same state for up to twenty-four hours. It's less effective when he uses it on other people, which explains the symptoms we were confused by. We'd like to keep him under observation until morning, then we'll do one more checkup. If all is well, you'll be home by lunchtime." He smiled kindly. "Now, Mr. Kirishima, would you like us to bring in a cot for you?"

Kirishima shook his head at the same time Bakugou's arm tightened around his waist. Normally, they'd never be so openly affectionate; but today had not been normal. Being the smart man that he was, the doctor didn't push the issue further than that.

"You look like shit." Bakugou said gruffly, once they were alone again "go to sleep."

And he did, lulled to sleep by the steady beeping of the heart monitor. It was the second-most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.


End file.
